Bleachers (or grandstands) provide seating for an audience for various sporting events, theatrical performances, and other similar events. Permanent bleachers are installed in gymnasiums or other locations where such events are frequent. However, for events that occur on a less frequent basis, temporary bleacher systems may be used. Such temporary bleacher systems are often mounted on some form of mobile framework for ready transport to the location of the event. Once at the appropriate location, the bleacher system can be transitioned from the transport position to a deployed position. Thus, such mobile bleacher systems provide short-term and special event seating without the time and labor required to set up conventional bleachers.
In prior art mobile bleacher systems, hydraulic actuators (or similar mechanical or electromechanical actuators) are often used to transition the bleacher system from the transport position to the deployed position, and vice versa. However, such hydraulic actuators are usually extended during transport and storage, and then refracted to transition the bleacher system to the deployed position. Because the hydraulic actuators are extended, the rods are susceptible to corrosion during transport from exposure to road salt and also susceptible to corrosion from environmental conditions during long periods of storage. Thus, expensive and maintenance-prone rod covers have often been used to address and minimize this problem.
Furthermore, in prior art mobile bleacher systems, complex actuating systems and multiple-step procedures are often required to transition the bleacher system from a transport position to a deployed position, and vice versa.
Furthermore, in prior art mobile bleacher systems, the number of rows in the bleacher system or leg room (pitch) from one seat row to the next is often sacrificed in order to make the bleacher system sufficiently compact for transport.